8:00 a.m. “We have to be out the
door in 10 minutes. Everyone finish
up and go downstairs!” Two kids
head down the stairs—in bare feet.

I throw socks down after them, then
deal with my seemingly calm autistic
child. I get Joey dressed, and he tells
me he still has not eaten. I sheepishly
heat up some pizza.

8:05 a.m. I’m putting the pizza in a to-go
container, and the kids are talking. No one
has on a jacket yet and only one is wearing
shoes. I hear myself like a broken record:
“Put on your shoes and jackets!” Someone
asks for a snack, and I grab some protein
bars for the car. Then I realize I’m not
dressed. I run up the stairs, and my absence
creates a fight. It’s the daily battle of the
wits between my autistic son and my 2E
son, who currently attends a school for the
gifted. Both have a knowledge of geography
and history well beyond their years—and
neither can EVER be wrong. I need to get
back downstairs. I hurry on some shoes and
manage to brush my teeth. I can brush my
hair later.

8:15 a.m. Crap, coffee. I need to make
some to take with me in the car. I yell out
a one last “get your shoes on” as I head for
the coffee machine. My travel mug is MIA.

Coffee will have to wait. I grab my keys and
get to the door where the boys are arguing
44 Washington FAMILY JULY 2020
Left: Joey and Amelie on a hike
through Great Seneca National
Park. Right: Amelie and Max wading in a
creek near their home.

Bottom: The brothers playing video
games in the basement.

with the song on the radio.

Ah, the true irony of autism:
Everything is too loud for him, yet he
is the loudest person I know.

in each other’s faces and my daughter is
walking around the yard and humming to
herself. I grab the jackets (still on no one’s
body) and head for the minivan.

8:22 a.m. We are on the road to school
No. 1. Max is playing multiple choice:
“The longest river in the world is A: The
Amazon River, B…” I hope my daughter
can guess correctly so that she is not
chastised by the perfectionist.

8:30 a.m. We arrive at the school, and
Max is still talking. I want to scream “just
get out of the car,” but I manage a “have
a great day, I’ll see you after school,”
instead. We are back on the road and Joey
yells at his twin sister for singing along
8:40 a.m. I arrive at school No. 2. There
is a debate as to how far I should walk
them. Do I take them all 500 steps to the
front door of the school, as my daughter
has requested, or stay behind and just
wave to them as they look back, as my son
would like? Eventually, one will run off
and the other will take my hand and walk
me to the front door.

8:55 a.m. I am home. I finally make my
coffee, power on my computer and sigh a
big breath of relief: It’s time to start the
work day. n
Would you like to share a morning, afternoon
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BOOK MARKED
Celebrating Differences
and Embracing
Diverse Friendships
Cyana Riley, author
of the new children’s
book “Not So
Different,” with her kids.

Courtesy photo
“Not So Different” was
inspired by the author’s
own interracial marriage
and biracial children.

By Joy Saha
W eaving simple rhymes and a col-
lection of curated illustrations
into a captivating picture tale,
the new children’s book “Not So Different”
encourages readers to embrace their own
differences and unapologetically celebrate
the uniqueness of others.

“I want this book to create a space where
children can talk about their differences
and they can point out differences with
their friends, their peers and their fami-
lies,” says first-time author Cyana Riley,
who lives in Maryland with her family.

A former preschool teacher, Riley developed
her passion for writing at a young age. She
enjoyed writing poetry and frequently con-
tributed to her school’s newspaper. Now, as a
mother of two, her primary literary goal is to
include and uplift the voices of minority chil-
dren within the world of books.

“I definitely want them to feel proud and
confident about being represented in a chil-
dren’s book,” she says.

“Not So Different” follows a young boy
as he engages in conversations with his six
friends about their diversity. Riley brain-
stormed the plot for three years, starting
when she was pregnant with her son. She
took inspiration from the diversity within
her own family, specifically from her inter-
racial marriage and her biracial children, to
craft the book’s larger theme.

“I wanted to create something where my
children could see their family structure in
a book,” she says.

The entire creative process for Riley’s
book took place over several years but her
actual writing process lasted for less than
a month. For Riley, the writing process
was both smooth and natural, especially
because the story itself was deeply personal.

“Not So Different” features illustrations
by Anastasia Kanavaliuk, a college student
who lives in Belarus. Riley describes
Kanavaliuk’s illustrations as “whimsical,
soft and inviting” and overall, a perfect fit
for her book and story.

As for the main takeaway message, Riley
explains that it relates to her larger themes
of acceptance and kindness.

“I want children to walk away knowing
and feeling like they are more comfortable
being friends with people no matter what
they look like and no matter the differ-
ences,” she says. “And that’s the big theme
of the book: celebrating your differences,
celebrating diversity and it being OK.” T
“Not So Different” can be purchased at
notsodifferentbook.com. WashingtonFAMILY.com 45